Every Day Is World Water Day

I was thirsty and you gave me drink…. Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.—Matthew 25:35, 25:40

A young boy in Pulau Aceh, Indonesia, gets cleaned up at a tap provided by Catholic Relief Services. Photo by Sean Sprague for CRS

Each day, 783 million people do not have access to clean
water. By supporting Catholic Relief Services, you're following the
message of the Gospel and giving water to those most in need around the world.

You Bring Clean Water to Communities

Drought regularly strikes Ethiopia. Yet, despite the lack of
rainfall, water is available. Here's the challenge, though: The water flows
1,000 feet below the ground. See how your
support has created solutions so some Ethiopians can now reach
this precious resource.

You Keep Families Healthy

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, communities often
use rivers as a drinking fountain, swimming pool, Laundromat and public toilet.
Yet, every day, women fill old fuel cans with the contaminated water and take it
back to their families. With your help, families
in an eastern Congo village are healthier because they are now able to
sanitize the water they collect.

You Help Farmers Flourish During Drought

The drought that struck Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya in 2011
affected more than 12 million people. Although many fled, walking for weeks
in search of refugee camps, some farmers in Ethiopia stayed home, tending to
their thriving crops and livestock.

World Water Day is held every March 22. Recognized by the United Nations and the global community, World Water Day reminds us that much of the world still faces a global water, sanitation and hygiene crisis, and that it is our urgent obligation to act.

The Global Water Crisis: Facts

For every $1 spent on water, sanitation and hygiene programs, there is, on average, a $4 return in productivity.

783 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly 11 percent of the world's population.

2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation. This is about 35 percent of the world's population.

Around 700,000 children die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation—that's almost 2,000 children a day.

Long before the drought struck, your support of CRS
irrigation projects helped many of these farmers avoid the worst consequences of
this deadly event. See the luscious
greens growing on one farm in Ethiopia in the midst of the East Africa
drought.

You Provide Water and Sanitation in Emergencies

After a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 2010, one of the city's most pressing needs was clean
water and sanitation facilities.

"Before
we had water, we were suffering," says Registe Ligenson, a city resident. "For
2 weeks after the earthquake, we didn't have any. People just shared what they
had with them from before the earthquake."

You
responded to your most needy brothers and sisters. Your support made it
possible for CRS to distribute water, build 5,000-gallon water tanks, hire
Haitians to build latrines, install hand-washing stations and hire a local
graffiti artist to paint messages about the importance of proper hygiene and
sanitation. See the faces of
the people who received your gift of water after the Haiti earthquake.

You Promote Good Hygiene and Sanitation

In communities without access to sanitary toilets or a place for people to wash their hands, diseases spread quickly. Hygiene education, sanitation facilities and clean water are all critical to keeping people healthy.

In Sudan, CRS has been working for years to provide health and hygiene education to strengthen communities' capacity to share access to clean water.

Because of your support, 204 households in the West Bank received water recycling units to convert household wastewater into desperately needed irrigation water for their gardens.

You Give the Gift of Water Every Day

Around the globe, people observe World Water Day every March
22. It is a day that reminds us all about the power of clean water and
sanitation.

However, together—with supporters like you—CRS recognizes World
Water Day all year round. When you support CRS, you are digging wells, keeping
families healthy and irrigating plants every day. And when emergencies
happen, you are there—continuing to give the lifesaving gift of water to the
neediest among us.

How You Can Help

Continue to help our thirsty brothers and
sisters around the world:

Light a candle in our virtual chapel and pray for those who don't have clean water.